Bridging courses

Physics

This course is recommended for students enrolling in any first-year Physics subject, who have a limited background in physics. The course has been designed to provide students with an introduction to those concepts in Physics, that appear to defy common sense, and are consequently often most misunderstood. These concepts include the nature of forces and their role in motion, work and energy. Difficulties with these concepts generally hamper progress in other areas of Physics.

The topics discussed include motion, vectors, coordinate systems, Newton’s  Laws, gravitation, conservation laws, measurements and uncertainties. The course will include lectures, tutorials and practical work in our undergraduate Physics laboratories with the emphasis on problem-solving and learning by example.

Chemistry

This course is an essential stepping stone to 1^st year chemistry classes at UoW. It is designed for students with little-to-no experience studying chemistry who wish to understand foundational chemical principles that are highly relevant to physical and biological processes. We begin our adventure into chemistry on a small scale, discussing atomic theory and properties of elements, before moving through reactivities of ions to form molecules that we recognise in our daily lives. We then discuss fundamental reactions, including the formation of solids and acid-base reactions, as well as the quantification of these reactions centred around the conservation of mass.

Once we have discussed these core concepts in the lectures and practiced them in tutorial sessions, we will move into the laboratory and perform chemical experiments – carrying out, controlling, and analysing some of the reactions we’ve learned along the way!     

Biology

This course is recommended for students enrolling in any first-year Biology course, who have a limited background in biology.  The course has been designed to provide students with an introduction to basic concepts in Biology that are covered in the HSC courses.

Topics include cells and molecules, classification, cell division (mitosis and meiosis) and DNA structure and translation. Major groups in the evolution of animals and plants are also covered. 

Lab Rules and Equipment Requirements:

The bridging course practical is held in a laboratory environment therefore:

1. Always wear a lab coat and closed in shoes. You may be able to hire a disposable plastic lab coat for $2 on day 1, however we encourage you to purchase a lab coat from the UniShop, Building 11, ground floor as this reduces plastic waste.
2. Minimise the equipment you bring into the lab to avoid contamination. Only bring in the things you need (e.g. writing book, and pen/pencil) and use the lockers provided for the rest of your belongings including your mobile phone. A $2 coin is required to use the lockers.
3. No food and drink is allowed.